Acme Time Travel Incorporated - Volume 2

SEG002

“So where to, then?” Ginny said.

Ginny was still sitting in her cockpit seat. She had drunk the hot chocolate that Gabriel had requested, but she hadn’t eaten the toasted muffins. She had taken a small bite out of one, then handed the rest back to Gabriel. He had been enjoying his, but Ginny’s mood was starting to wear him down. He didn’t know what to do or what to say that might make her feel better. Alright, the last few days had been difficult. Their starship was still sitting in the landing bay, with its view of the teleport bay; the bay in which Patty’s body was still lying. Then he caught himself. Of course, Patty’s body wouldn’t be there any-more. It would have been teleported back to the Earth hours ago. It would have gone along with the shipment of containers that were the cause of his death.

He felt himself beginning to chuckle. To chuckle at how wrong he had been. All this time envisaging Patty’s body being continually chewed up by each load of containers, when in fact it would have gone ages ago.

“What’s funny?” Ginny asked. She wasn’t smiling. She looked like she might never smile again.

“Oh, er ... nothing,” said Gabriel. “I was just thinking ...”

Ginny scowled over at him, and Gabriel’s heart sank.

“So, where to?” she repeated, obvious frustration in her voice.

“Back to the Earth, do you reckon,” said Gabriel, tentatively. “That’s where the ACME offices are, isn’t it?”

“That’s where the administration offices are,” said Vicky, “but it might be better to go to the ACME-HUB.”

“What ... the orbiting space-station?” Ginny said.

“Well,” continued Vicky, “that is where the coordinates database is located. Also, it’s where the MEDICARE centre is located, and it’s probably the best place to try to find another STU to give to John’s wife.”

“Would we be able to land on the space station?” Ginny asked.

“It has docking stubs ... we can easily land there,” Ship said.

“Ok,” said Gabriel. “Are we all agreed then ... the ACME-HUB is where we’re going?”

“How long is the journey time?” Ginny said.

“With both motors on full thrust, just over four days,” Ship said.

“That’s if they both hold out,” said Ginny.

“Let us hope that they do,” said Vicky.

“Right then Ship, let’s get under way,” said Ginny. “The sooner we get off this God-forsaken shit-hole of a planet, the happier I’ll be.”

Gabriel heard the low rumble of the two Ramstat motors coming online. He looked across at Ginny. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking about, but he very much hoped that her forecast would prove to be correct.